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TEL AVIV (Reuters) — Likud’s Central Committee convened in Tel Aviv before a vote on a motion by Sharon’s rightist challenger, Benjamin Netanyahu, to bring the party’s primary forward to November.
In what could be a defining moment in Israeli politics, Sharon stormed out of the meeting after his microphone was cut off as he twice attempted to begin a speech to the rowdy forum. Aides accused his opponents of sabotaging the sound system.
More to follow below the fold »»
Sharon’s critics, led by Netanyahu, have said the Gaza pullout after five years of Palestinian violence will only bring more cross-border attacks on Israel from militants dedicated to the destruction of the Jewish state.
Sharon, who wants the party primary held closer to national parliamentary elections due by late next year, has said “radical extremists” have taken control of the Likud, which he helped to found three decades ago.
He has declined to say whether he would remain in the party if the 3,000-member Central Committee vote goes against him, raising speculation he may bolt and form a new centrist alliance that would tap into mainstream support for the Gaza pullout.
ISRAELI AIR STRIKE KILLS ISLAMIC JIHAD COMMANDER
GAZA (Reuters) — Israel killed a top Islamic Jihad commander in an air strike and arrested more than 200 suspected militants after warning Palestinians of a crushing response to rocket attacks from Gaza.
The strike on a car along Gaza’s coastal road was launched soon after Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s Likud party convened to consider whether he should soon face a leadership election over a pullout from the territory completed two weeks ago.
The attack killed Mohammed al-Sheikh Khalil, described by Islamic Jihad as one of its “most senior commanders in Palestine.” Khalil’s deputy, Mohammad Barhoum, was also killed and four people were wounded, medics said, as Israeli-Palestinian violence surged to its highest level since the Gaza withdrawal.
The Islamic Jihad called for revenge and its gunmen threatened to abandon a ceasefire in effect since February. “Sharon ended the truce when he started this widescale war against the West Bank and the Gaza Strip,” Islamic Jihad leader Mohammed al-Hindi said after viewing the bodies in a hospital morgue.
Earlier, Israel arrested more than 200 suspected militants in the West Bank as Sharon ordered the army to use any means to stop rocket salvoes from Gaza
At an unusual press conference by a spokesman in Gaza, Hamas declared immediate return to truce with Israelis. The promise would mean no rockets to be launched from Gaza territory. Hamas apparently does not want to be blamed to a return of Israeli occupation and destruction, just two week after Israeli unilateral withdrawal from occupied territory of the Gaza strip.
Hostilities returned to Gaza after Israeli declaration it would prevent Hamas from participating in Palestinian elections.
Israel raided the West Bank territory, killing suspected Palestinian activists. Later the Israelis entered and imprisoned 145 Palestinians.
Two days ago an explosion during a Hamas rally killed 15 persons. The Israelis claim they were not involved. Hamas accused the Israeli of a rocket fired by a drone, causing the mass killings. There were Israeli helicopters flying over Gaza city at the time of the rally.
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erupted into unrestrained violence between Hamas militants and Israeli attacks on the Gaza and West Bank territories killing many Palestinians and wounding over one hundred.
ISRAEL :: Hamas standing in elections inconceivable
Reaction by Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
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I heard complaints that so many speakers were down on Israel at the protest, over at dailykos. How do you feel about it? I have mixed feelings. It is distressing to hear the violence has started up again.
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It’s difficult to remain neutral in the conflict of Israeli Occupation of the Gaza and West Bank territories. Extremists reign on both sides, the innocent caught up in between suffer hardship, become a terror casualty or die.
Decades of hostility leads only to more bloodshed. The U.S., both Democrats and Republicans in Congress are not even-handed in the conflict. The administrations fail to be a broker for peace.
Bush and the neocons are charmed by the Likud party of Israel – Sharon and Netanyahu¹– whereby George Bush has been adament to follow the lead of Sharon policy in the Middle East. The stalemate between Israelis and Palestinians since 1967, has now been duplicated in Iraq, where Israel had a strong voice to invade.
Israel has nuclear and biochemical weapons, which leads to hypocrisy in discussions for Iranian nuclear disarmament.
As an outsider it is impossible to make a judgement, the parties involved need to come to a final peace settlement. The International community needs to pressure both sides, with Bush and Blair, it has led to failure.
Netanyahu¹ must listen to interview with G Gordon Liddy.
My previous diaries ::
Israel Democracy Day Keep A Date June 17
IDEALS — Rachel Corrie in London Play
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Excellent analysis. Thank you for your coverage of this.
the elevation of the full blown sociopath Netanyahu will close the circle against any hope for a cessation of violence in the MidEast. He is the most dangerous person in Israel and he’ll out neocon even the US lunatics like Ledeen and Perle and Feith, etc.
The PNACers have been waiting for the return of this maniac since his untimely loss to Barak in ’99. His previous 2+ years as PM in Israel revealed the depth of his insanity and the non-functional nature of his violent ideology.
Now that he’s back and making his move on Sharon, there will be new rivers of innocent blood soaking into the sand of the Middle East.
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